Quick weekend in the snow!
If you are missing the white stuff this winter and feel that the Alps are too far away for a weekend, then why not think about a weekend closer to home!
Just a few hours drive from Cortona, is the magical area of Cimone, just north of Pistoia and here you can find a weekend of skiing with all the aprés ski.
Cimone
The Cimone area offers the largest ski carousel in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines with more than 50 km of slopes, all connected to each other. The slopes are served by modern and fast facilities and you can access each one with the same ski pass, without ever having to take off your skis.
Along the three slopes of the mountain there are tracks for all tastes: long and wide, with challenging slopes and over 600 metres of altitude difference for expert skiers; shorter and easier slopes for those who love skiing in full relaxation.
Our weekend in ‘Le Polle’
Me and my partner were missing the snow and decided to find a weekend away but a 7 hour drive to the Alps just would not do, so we stumbled across the ski area of Cimone!
We booked a studio apartment, left work on Friday afternoon, collected the dog and headed for the mountains! Taking the A1 and exiting at Pistoia, the drive was comfortable and then we wound our way to the ski area of Sestola and Cimone. Our area was that of ‘Le Polle’, a small village but exactly what we needed. We found our accommodation and were surprised with the size, fully equipped kitchen, lounge area, bedroom and large bathroom and it’s location could not have been better. Just across the road from our apartment was the ski rental shop, ticket office and ski lift plus of course a bar/restaurant.
We took a walk around the village, in the evening and got our bearings and after a good nights sleep, we were ready to hit the slopes, but first it was the dogs first experience of snow! I think she liked it!
Within 30 minutes we had sorted our ski hire, got our lift passes and were ready for a day on the slopes, obviously after an obligatory coffee and crossiant in the local bar just at the base of the ski lift. Finally we were ready….
A few runs down and then we adventured to the linking piste that connects ‘Le Polle’ to ‘Passo del Lupo’ offering a few more pistes and a wonderful bar/restaurant that in the afternoon had a DJ pumping out music and people enjoying a mulled wine or aperitivo at the end of the day.
Returning to our apartment at the end of the day, a beer
- with the dog - was had at the bar
and then a relax before heading out for dinner at the ‘La Tana del Lupo’ just across the road. Good quality food, good service and very affordable price.
Feeling the muscles after a day on the slopes, we returned home to our warm apartment and slept!
Sunday morning saw us again enjoy the wonderful weather and snow conditions
and obviously, being Sunday, more people were skiing for the day but queues for the lift, 6 place chair lift, moved quickly and the pistes were never packed! We even met up with a friend who was staying in Sestola and with the fantastic connections all ski resorts in the Cimone area, it was very feasible for both groups.
It was definitely a surprise to find such a great resort close to home, dog friendly, slopes for all levels, kids zone and connecting pistes to widen the ski area and of course not Alp prices!
We will definitely be going back this winter to keep up the ski skills and snow legs, plus introduce the new dog to the snow!
